Transferring Personal Music to Ionic

[ErickFitbit]

Update 10/6/17 -- Thanks for sharing your experiences with attempting to transfer your playlists onto Ionic. After reading through the discussions in this thread, I noticed some users where successful and others not so much.

Users are running into various blockers that are preventing a successful transfer. I've compiled the complications into the following categories:

• Stuck on "Looking for Ionic" message on Fitbit connect even though Ionic/Fitbit App/Computer on same Network) 

Cannot connect unless a force manual IP address for Ionic is done(entering IP address manually)

• Frozen at "Determining Transfer Time" (check out @xTommyG's workaround here)
• Stuck on "Transfer in progress" (try restarting your Ionic and then reestablish Wi-Fi connection on Ionic)
• Ionic won't connect to Wi-Fi (see Why won't my Fitbit watch connect to Wi-Fi? for tips)

I've created a guide to help anyone that's having issues with this. So, without further ado, let's start transferring some music!  

Requirements

• Windows 10 (PC) or Mac computer 
• Wi-Fi capable computer: Must be able to connect to the Internet via Wi-Fi (direct ethernet connections will not work)
• Must connect to a 2.4GHz frequency network (5 GHz frequency is not supported)
• Fitbit Connect Software (Win10/Mac) must be installed
• Ionic battery life must be above 40% to transfer music (Keeping Ionic charging during this process is recommended)
• Create at least 1 playlist of songs or podcasts in iTunes or Windows Media Player to download to your watch. You can also create playlists in the Fitbit Music app using the drag-and-drop feature to add individual tracks. 
• To download music files, they must fall under one of the following audio file types: 
  • Windows 10
    • MP3 files
    • MP4 files with AAC audio
    • WMA files
  • Mac
    • MP3 files
    • AIFF
    • MP4 files with AAC audio

• If you use iTunes, make sure you approve the app to share playlists with your watch: Open iTunes on your computer > Edit > Preferences > Advanced > Share iTunes Library XML with other applications > OK.

 

• For best results, perform this process as close to your router as possible to reduce any interference 

Transfer Music Checklist

1. Restart computer
2. Make sure your computer is connected to a strong Wi-Fi network (note: personal or work network that requires a password to connect is recommended - 2.4 GHz) 
3. Restart phone
4. Restart Ionic
5. In the Fitbit app go to Account/Media/Manage Wi-fi Networks and remove all saved networks
6. Connect back to your Wi-Fi network 
7. Plug-in your watch to charge
8. On your Ionic, tap Music app and then Transfer Music: 
9. Ionic will show this screen when connection is established: 
10. Open Fitbit Connect and click on Manage My Music 
11. When prompted, follow the on-screen instructions on your Mac/PC to choose the playlists you want to download to your watch. After you choose a playlist, the download starts automatically. Download/transfer times vary based on how large your playlist is (was able to download 1 hours worth of music in about 6-8 minutes).

Note: For faster download times, you might want to avoid large playlists. The more songs you transfer under one playlist the longer download times you will experience. Should you run into an issue please let us know where in the process you get stuck.

Thanks everyone for your continued insight and feedback in this thread. I hope all of you Ionic users get transferred, drop your phones on your dressers and start working out to the music you most enjoy, phone free!

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Update 9/28/17 -- The latest version of Fitbit Connect for Mac is now live! The update can now be found on the setup page. Please update if you haven't already so you can start transferring your favorite tunes to your Ionic!

• Download Fitbit Connect for Mac: www.fitbit.com/setup

• Download Fitbit Connect for PC: http://cache.fitbit.com/FitbitConnect/FitbitConnect-v2.0.2.6954-2017-09-28.exe 

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Everyone -- To transfer music with Fitbit Connect, please click the applicable link below to download and install the Fitbit Connect software:

• Download Fitbit Connect for Mac: www.fitbit.com/setup

• Download Fitbit Connect for PC: http://cache.fitbit.com/FitbitConnect/FitbitConnect-v2.0.2.6954-2017-09-28.exe

With the Music app on Fitbit Ionic, you can store and play several hours worth of your favorite songs and podcasts right on your wrist. After you download playlists to your watch, connect Bluetooth headphones or another audio device to listen to your tracks.

You need a Windows 10 PC or a Mac connected to Wi-Fi to download music and podcasts to your watch. Keep in mind you can only transfer files that you own or don’t require a license. 

If you live in the United States, you can also use the Pandora app to download stations to your watch. 

For full instructions, I recommend checking out "How do I listen to music and podcasts on my Fitbit watch?"

[Kylaria]

Any chance you are bringing to Android? Or directly with usb comes with it?

[Claire0805]

You can suggest that as a feature to fitbit. Please do! The more of us ask for it, the better

[Berdwa]

I've been trying to get music to transfer via the Fitbit app on Windows 10 and it's been spinning for about 50 minutes. It still just says preparing to transfer 3 30 minute podcasts. This is such a pain there is no way I would use this feature on a regular basis. 

[noel-ionic]

Embarrassing is an understatement. I owned a Sandisk MP3 player in 2005 that had way more robust connectivity than this device. If you advertise that the watch can play music this needs to work directly from the native app, not using some cobbled together solution using a desktop app. Even WPA2 Wifi connections do not work requiring even more workarounds. I do like the basic fitness features but the extra features in this watch are seriously broken. I wont even get into the fact that SPO2 monitoring is not even available yet (one of the reasons I considered this watch in the first place)

[Sandyott]

THANK YOU...

I got the music to transfer and play, and I'm using windows 8  :).  

[Kylaria]

How?

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@Sandyott wrote:

THANK YOU...

I got the music to transfer and play, and I'm using windows 8  :).  

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[Sandyott]

follow instructions  here:

When I posted I thought I was replying to the thread where someone listed a link to the Fitbit connect APP.    But apparently I did not.  I'm not he sharpest tool in the shed.  So  If I got it it has to be doable the hardest part was directing the app to the location of the music folder correctly.  but   here's a help article.  you'll have to troll around the forum here  to find the details sorry..

good luck.  once you have it it's a lot of fun. 

http://help.fitbit.com/articles/en_US/Help_article/2251/?q=Ionic%2C+music%2C+windows&l=en_US&fs=Sear...

[pleephd]

I did everything in this message, but when I opened the program on my apple computer and hit manage music, I get a message that this will only work if I have an ionic paired to my fitbit account and it tells me to do this is the fitbit app.  But this is the first thing I did once I got the ionic and it is paired, I have been able to add new apps to my watch and can see my dashboard (which is updated through my activities done while wearing the watch.  I have OS X version 10.95 and the process is 2.4 GHz and Intel core is i5.  I do have a more current laptop I could try if the above is not compatible.

[lisa0069]

'll add me to the hundreds of people on this list, can't get it to work, downloaded iTunes only to make the playlists as windows 10 doesn't have media player any longer.  Followed this on page 1 of this thread and restarted everything like 10 times each, Fitbit connect app only ever says 

LOOKING FOR YOUR IONIC

Frustrated beyond belief to have wasted$300 When I had a perfectly good blaze already.

Not to mention there is only like 5 banks to use the wallet function.

HOW ABOUT SOMEBODY FIX THIS ALREADY!!!!

[WinthropDC]

@lisa0069

Make sure the Ionic is on the same 2.4G Wifi network as the PC.

You can use any media program to make playlists... Including the Fitbit app. I happen to use WinAmp to create m3u playlists.

David

[SunsetRunner]

@lisa0069 as you're on Windows 10, rather than using the Fitbit Connect desktop app, use the Fitbit Windows Store app (& remove the connect app first). I've read of problems with the former and having installed the latter today and used it to transfer music to my Ionic, can attest to it working.

[lisa0069]

See some say desktop app some say that doesn't work and get the other versions, correct not using the 5g network at home, it is just getting so frustrating.  We are using the store app not the little dashboard type app, the screen just keep saying Looking

[PeteG-1]

Did anyone with a large music collection get this to work?
I've got about 29,000 items, and the Fitbit app "goes off the deep end" for me, when I try to even get to the point to select a few tracks (I also just wanted a couple of podcasts).  
I have a VERY fast 10-core (20 thread) self-assembled PC, it's basically a development platform, and then some.  I have a known good BLE adapter, and the stack-driver is very stable too (my regular data syncs are almost 100% reliable).

I think whatever the app is doing to index tracks isn't very efficient (it probably shouldn't be indexing everything anyway, IMO, to-start, if that's the issue).  I let it run for maybe 10 minutes, and decided I wasn't going to sit there for hours, to sync a couple of these, I'll just put them on my phone.

On the UI, it says it's "looking for Ionic", but I'm about 99.9% sure that's not the case, because I can sync within 2-5 seconds, from the dashboard, consistently, not sure why it wouldn't be able to find it, from the media-sync dialog.

It's using intermittent WiFi, I tracked it for awhile in this regard (WireShark), and pretty low CPU/disk/memory, so it's really not clear what it's doing, while it's spinning...

Edit: I'm running the "Win Store" version of the app, that's all I've used, from my PC.

[WinthropDC]

@lisa0069

The Ionic does not support 5G Wifi. Make sure your PC is on 2.4G Wifi.

[PeteG-1]

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@WinthropDC wrote:

@lisa0069

The Ionic does not support 5G Wifi. Make sure your PC is on 2.4G Wifi.

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This shouldn't matter, unless it's using IGMP or similar (if you are, you probably already know how to tweak it).  The packets should go through your router/switch, and 2.4/5 devices will "communicate" just fine.

[Osmar]

Fitbit should stop providing lies and corporate bull**ahem** and fix this nightmare.

The process of transferring music is absurd and ridiculous.

And when i could make it work (partially, as some of the songs were not recognized), it took hours to complete the transfer, with several connection lost during the process.

Fix this, fitbit!

[lisa0069]

Guess I will save my frustration and just keep using my phone, I sure hope they see this and get lots of emails from us so they can make it a way better process.

[SunsetRunner]

---

@PeteG-1 wrote:

... I think whatever the app is doing to index tracks isn't very efficient (it probably shouldn't be indexing everything anyway, IMO, to-start, if that's the issue).  I let it run for maybe 10 minutes, and decided I wasn't going to sit there for hours, to sync a couple of these,

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I tend to agree @PeteG-1. While watching the process, to try and see where things were going wrong for people (as I have no real desire to put music on my watch) the main time consumer was while the program was looking for / indexing the music. During this time the WiFi connection dropped a couple of times. However I just reconnected through the app and it carried on. The actual transfer was quite straightforward (and the WiFi didn’t disconnect during the transfer).

[PeteG-1]

Yeah, my "indexing" or "finding Ionic", call it what you will, never finished, I killed it after about 20 minutes, figured I didn't need another giant index of my music in some random location.

It also won't let you de-select the default Windows music folder, which is interesting.  
As a (mostly ex) s/w and h/w engineer, I tend to store all my data separately regardless, for performance and reliability reasons (usually on a RAID-ed drive, 1 or 5).

I don't know why they need to index my Windows folders, if I specifically don't use those, why can't I remove them?

[pleephd]

The problem is when I open my Apple laptop and click on manage music (Fitbit connect on laptop) it keeps acting like my Fitbit is not connected. It makes me sign in (use Facebook), but it keeps telling me cannot flint the Fitbit in the app. Also not sure where I would find out what type of Wifi I have (know that all of my devices are on the same wifi network though).